The Management of Chelsea ‘name’ two probable replacements for Mauricio Pochettino

Chelsea have selected Brighton & Hove Albion’s Roberto De Zerbi and Sporting CP’s Ruben Amorim as prospective replacements for head coach Mauricio Pochettino, according to a source.

The Blues presently sit 11th in the Premier League table and were recently humiliated in the Carabao Cup final, falling 1-0 to an inexperienced Liverpool squad after extra-time.

During Saturday’s 2-2 draw at west London’s Brentford, Chelsea fans screamed ‘f*** off Mauricio’ and ‘[Todd] Boehly, you’re a c***’ in displeasure over the team’s fortunes. Some supporters have never warmed to Pochettino due to his long-standing affiliation with rival Tottenham Hotspur.

The Guardian claims that while Chelsea wants to wait until the conclusion of the season to reassess Pochettino’s status, the club is looking at possible replacements, with De Zerbi and Amorim emerging as two of their favourite choices.

The club’s hierarchy still backs Pochettino and wants to avoid making hasty decisions, and there is a broad feeling that the project is heading in the right path. Pochettino also continues to enjoy the support of the locker room, and there is sympathy for the myriad injury challenges he has had to struggle with this season.

Should Chelsea wish to move on from Pochettino, whose future is understood to be dependant on obtaining European participation, they want to be in a perfect position to select a replacement.

Their investigation has led them to Brighton’s De Zerbi, who is also a target for Liverpool as Jurgen Klopp’s successor, as well as Manchester United should they remove Erik ten Hag. Amorim of Sporting is also on the Reds’ shortlist of prospects and was previously a Chelsea target prior to Pochettino’s arrival.

De Zerbi steered Brighton to a club-record sixth-place Premier League finish last season and evolved their possession-based approach, while the relatively young Amorim ended Sporting’s 19-year wait for a Portuguese crown in 2021 and has made them competitive in Europe.

A new head coach would have to be willing to operate within Chelsea’s sporting structure, which comprises co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, co-director of recruitment and talent Joe Shields, and co-owner Behdad Eghbali.

Pochettino signed only a two-year contract with Chelsea with the option for a further year last summer—a major change in club strategy after predecessor Graham Potter was appointed on a five-year term in September 2022.